Pope Leo Embarks On His Longest-Yet Apostolic Journey To Four Countries.

Vatican City; April 2026: Starting his 10 days Apostolic Journey, on the African continent: Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea, the Holy Father is scheduled to spend the first two days of his Apostolic Journey in Algeria becoming the first pontiff to visit the country. This papal journey to Algeria holds personal significance for Pope Leo XIV, as the country is home to Annaba (formerly known as Hippo), the city where St. Augustine served as Bishop from 395 until his death in 430.

However, this is not Pope Leo’s first time to the African continent. As the Prior General of the Order of St. Augustine, the-then Father Robert Prevost visited a number of African countries, including Algeria, Kenya, and Tanzania. He made two visits to Algeria itself in 2001 and 2013.

During the short flight to Algeria, Pope Leo addressed the journalists, as it is a tradition on papal flights, answering questions about the statements US President Donald Trump made against him on the Truth Social network.

The Pope stressed that he does “not see my role as that of a politician. I am not a politician, and I do not want to enter into a debate with him”. Moreover, he continued, “I do not think the message of the Gospel should be abused as some are doing. I continue to speak strongly against war, seeking to promote peace, dialogue, and multilateralism among states to find solutions to problems. Too many people are suffering today, too many innocent lives have been lost, and I believe someone must stand up and say there is a better way”.

The Pope then renewed the same call with which he began his pontificate: peace. “I say this to all world leaders, not only him [President Trump]: let us end wars and promote peace and reconciliation”.

Responding to an American journalist who asked the same question, the Holy Father explained, “I have no fear of the Trump administration or speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do, what the Church is here to do. We are not politicians. We don’t deal with foreign policy with the same perspective he might understand it, but I do believe in the message of the Gospel, as a peacemaker”.

Peace is one of the guiding themes of this Apostolic Journey to four African nations. This journey, Pope Leo explained, is special for a number of reasons, including that it was meant to be “the first of the pontificate”. He expressed his joy at being able to revisit the land of St. Augustine, who, the Pope said, “offers a very important bridge in interreligious dialogue”. This opportunity to travel to the place where this North African saint served as bishop is a blessing for the Pope, but, he stressed, “also for the Church and for the world, because we must always seek bridges to build peace and reconciliation”.

Immediately after touching down at Algiers, and meeting the President Abdelmadjid Tebboune at the presidential palace, the Pope addressed around 1,400 civil authorities at the Djamaa el Djazair Conference Center, wherein he has reaffirmed that, “Deserts and seas must be oases of peace, mutual enrichment”.

The Pope recalled the words of his predecessors, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, on the importance of directing the process of globalization through “a model of social, political, and economic participation”, so that all people and nations may benefit from growth in the global economy.

“I therefore urge those of you who hold positions of authority in this country not to fear this outlook but to promote a vibrant, dynamic and free civil society, in which young people in particular are recognized as capable of helping to broaden the horizon of hope for all”, he said. Pope Leo said a nation’s true strength lies in its ability to foster cooperation among citizens without authorities dominating but rather serving all people and promoting their development. He pledged the efforts of the Catholic Church to contribute to the common good of Algeria and strengthen the country’s identity as a bridge between nations of all hemispheres.

The Pope pointed to Algeria’s location bordered by the Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara desert, saying these geographical aspects represent a spiritual crossroads filled with “immense treasures of humanity. For the sea and the desert have been places of mutual enrichment among peoples and cultures for millennia. Woe to us if we turn them into graveyards where hope also dies!”. Deserts and seas contain majestic beauty, he added, saying their boundless expanse can help people reflect on transcendence.

“Let us free these tremendous reservoirs of history and of the future from evil!” he said. “Let us multiply oases of peace; let us denounce and remove the causes of despair; and let us oppose those who profit from the misfortune of others!”

Pope Leo urged Algeria’s civil leaders to unite spiritual energy, intelligence, and resources to make the land and the sea places of life, encounter, and wonder. Algerian society, noted the Pope, has seen fundamentalism and secularization manifest themselves, leading to tension between religious sensibility and modern life.

“Religious symbols and words can become, on the one hand, blasphemous languages of violence and oppression, or on the other, empty signs in the immense marketplace of consumption that does not satisfy us”, he said.

Team Maverick.